Door-spring



HY. HoorrsTRAssnRANnA. `MassoN, or` PHILADELPHIA PENNSYLVANIA;

` DoorasrnrNG.

Speccatin of Letters Patent 1\To` 3,704, dated ebruaQry 3, 1852.

` To all whomfzlt concern:

Be it known that we,ljlnvnr` HOCH- s'raassnr: y and ABRAHAM MassoN, ofthe cit-y1 and county Philadelphia, `State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented aM new and Improved Door-Spring for the Purpose of ClosingDoors byfthe Power of `Said Spring; and we hereby declare thatthefollowing is an exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying ,draw-f rings and to the letters" ofreference marked t n nf i durabilityf-as 1t` cannot lose its elasticity thereon. y. y

The nature of our invention consists of the application of a curve to befastened to the door-frame in such position as hereafter described) toand in connection with a spring with rollers attached to one end, whichend moves in and on the curve, for the purpose of having the spring actmore powerfully on the door when about shut than when open; the otherend of the spring` to be placed in an iron on the door; which iron canbe permanent or movable as may be preferred. Although the spring mayhave its greatest tension when the door is open, it acts with less powerbecause the end of the spring` with the rollers attached is by theaction of opening the door thrown in toward the centerl ofthe hinges oraxis of the door; and in and by the action of closing the door, the sameend of spring moving in the curve is thrown out from the center of thehinges or axis of the door, causing the spring to act more powerful.Although the tension of the spring is lessened, because it is then aconsiderable distance from and back of the center of t-he hinges, oraxis of the door. To explain more fully: If a spring of the kind heredescribed should have one end placed directly on a line with the hingesor door-frame, and the other end attached to the door, it is evidentthat it would work precisely the same and with the door; but ifv youattach the spring out of the line, either out from orback of the centerof the hinges, the spring .will meet with resistance and will assume anelliptic form, and its tension or power will tend to close the door; nowif we can throw the spring out from the center,` by the action of thedoor when it is closed or closing, and in toward the center whenopening, we have the greatest power when closed or nearly so, and thelesser power when open. This arrangement has the following advantages,viz: lst. Persons `passing 1n or thrown back farther.

i out, usually leave `the door partlyopen, and

the springs now in use will not close it, or if 'made` of sufficientpower,` it; will be so great as `to shatter the door.` Qnch This springcan be put onlany partof a door, whichfdoes not require to be thrown`back farther thana right angle with the doorframe, either on top atmidway or atthe bottom of the door-rif onftop it can be 3rd. It can betaken off and put onwith little trouble. `tth.` Its like a coil orspiral spring. 5th. Itscomparative freedom from friction and noise.

`To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, wewill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

We construct our spring of tempered steel, flat and straight in shape(other shapes will do) of width to suit the opening or divison in thecurve, its thickness and length will be proportioned to the size of thedoor and power required. On one end of the spring we turn an eye inwhich we insert a pin, on each end of the pin we fasten a roller with agroove turned therein, for the purpose `of preventing them from slippingout of the curve.

The above described spring is shown in sectional drawing A. The curve wemake of metal of form similar to sectional drawing D, having an openingor division in its center to admit the passage of thespring as inperspective drawing I. We place the curve on the door frame, so that thecenter of the lower or inner part of the curve (see sectional drawing D,Figure 2) or the cen ter of the rollers when in that part of the curvewill be about a quarter of an inch back and from the center of the hingeor axis of the door if the hinge projects out farther than usual, thenblock the curve out so as said center will be on a line with the centerof hinges as above described. .After the curve is secured as above shutthe door and place the end of the spring with the rollers attached inand on the outer part of the curve. The other end of the spring place inthe iron or rack attached to the door for that purpose which rack isshown in sectional drawing G, which can be used for the purpose or somesimilar device, which can be placed at one-half or threequarters of thewidth of the door distant` from the center of the hinge or axis of theiio door, the length of the spring yto be made to correspond, which mustbe one-eighth of an inch longer than its bearing place on the rack, atmost not more than one-quarter of an inch as the more the spring isbowed or approaches the elliptic form, the less power it exerts when thedoor is closed. Now when the curve and spring is placed as above and asshown in the drawing E and the door is closed the spring exerts itsgreatest power o1' nearly so, because. the end in the curve 4stands outfarther from and back of the center' of the hinges or axis of the doorthan when the door is open. In opening the door a short distance, whichdistance can be regulated vby the shape of the outer part of the curve,the end of the spring in the curve, moves in the curve toward the centerof the hinge or axis of the door (as shown in sectional drawing F) whichlessens the power of the spring because it is nearer the center or axisof the door.

We do not claim the straight piece of steel for a spring as new, neitherdo we claim having the spring act most powerful when the door is closed,as new.

What we do claim as new and our nvention or improvement and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is

The application and mechanical arrange-`

